Abstract

Abstract
Learning computer programming is a complex activity and requires a lot of practice. The viral pandemic that we are facing has intensified these difficulties. In this context, programming learning platforms play a crucial role. Most of them are characterized by providing a wide range of exercises with progressive complexity, multi-language support, sophisticated interfaces and automatic evaluation and gamification services. Nevertheless, despite the various features provided, others features, which influence user experience, are not emphasized, such as performance and usability. This article presents an user experience evaluation of the LearnJS playground, a JavaScript learning platform which aims to foster the practice of coding. The evaluation highlights two facets of the code playground: performance and a usability. In the former, lab and field data were collected based on Google Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights reports. In the later, an inquiry was distributed among students from a Web Technologies course with a set of questions based on flexibility, usability and consistency heuristics. Both evaluation studies have a twofold goal: to improve the learning environment in order to be officially used in the next school year and to foster the awareness of user experience in all phases of the software development life-cycle as a key facet in Web applications engagement and loyalty. © Ricardo Queirós, Mário Pinto, and Teresa Terroso; licensed under Creative Commons License CC-BY 4.0 Second International Computer Programming Education Conference (ICPEC 2021).

Abstract
In this paper, we discuss the design considerations and goals of an interactive digital musical instrument (DMI) for novice pianists. It aims to promote the practice of melodic improvisation by guiding pianists in the selection of notes. The DMI includes two major components: a generative jazz model (software) and an illuminating keyboard controller (hardware). Visual feedback in the form of illuminated keyboard controller keys guides notes selection. Illuminated keys correspond to scale degrees that comply with a harmonic structure generated on-the-fly. The generative nature of the engine allows high degrees of novelty while guaranteeing a structurally-coherent harmonic structure anchored in the blues/jazz idiom. Preliminary experimental results inform critical directions for future design iterations of the proposed system.

Abstract

Abstract
We present SyVMO, an algorithmic extension of the Variable Markov Oracle algorithm, to model and predict multi-part dependencies from symbolic music manifestations. Our model has been implemented as a software application named INCITe for computer-assisted algorithmic composition. It learns variable amounts of musical data from style-agnostic music represented as multiple viewpoints. To evaluate the SyVMO model within INCITe, we adopted the Creative Support Index survey and semi-structured interviews. Four expert composers participated in the evaluation using both personal and exogenous music corpus of variable size. The results suggest that INCITe shows great potential to support creative music tasks, namely in assisting the composition process. The use of SyVMO allowed the creation of polyphonic music suggestions from style-agnostic sources while maintaining a coherent melodic structure. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Abstract
Mobile handheld devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become some of the most prominent ubiquitous terminals within the information and communication technology landscape. Their transformative power within the digital music domain changed the music ecosystem from production to distribution and consumption. Of interest here is the ever-expanding number of mobile music applications. Despite their growing popularity, their design in terms of interaction perception and control is highly arbitrary. It remains poorly addressed in related literature and lacks a clear, systematized approach. In this context, our paper aims to provide the first steps towards defining guidelines for optimal sonic interaction design practices in mobile music applications. Our design approach is informed by user data in appropriating mobile handheld devices. We conducted an experiment to learn links between control gestures and musical parameters, such as pitch, duration, and amplitude. A twofold action-reflection protocol and tool-set for evaluating the aforementioned links-are also proposed. The results collected from the experiment show statistically significant trends in pitch and duration control gesture mappings. On the other hand, amplitude appears to elicit a more diverse mapping approach, showing no definitive trend in this experiment.